U.S. patent number 6,234,408 [Application Number 09/541,805] was granted by the patent office on 2001-05-22 for mobile cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus.
Invention is credited to Matthew Stevens, Roger E. Stevens, Timothy Stevens.
United States Patent |
6,234,408 |
Stevens , et al. |
May 22, 2001 |
Mobile cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus
Abstract
A mobile fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus comprising
a trailer, a generator mounted on the trailer, and a fuel tank
connected to the generator for powering the generator. There is a
work platform mounted to the trailer to allow the operators to work
directly on the unit. A mixer for mixing a dry product with water
is mounted on the work platform and comprises a vat, a rotatable
mixing tool and a motor for rotating the mixing tool. The motor is
powered by the generator. A pump is connected to the generator and
is mounted adjacent the mixer. A hose is connected to the pump and
to a spray nozzle for spraying the product. There is a second mixer
for mixing accelerator with water mounted on the work platform, and
comprises a mixing tank, a rotatable mixing tool and a motor
connected to the mixing tool and the generator. There is a second
pump for pumping the accelerator, and a second hose connected to
the second pump and to the nozzle to mix the accelerator with the
product immediately prior to spraying. A tool box is mounted to the
work platform and there is scaffolding mounted to the trailer, so
that the mobile unit is completely self contained and allows the
operators to complete a spraying job without any outside support,
except for a water source.
Inventors: |
Stevens; Timothy (Holtsville,
NY), Stevens; Matthew (Holtsville, NY), Stevens; Roger
E. (Holtsville, NY) |
Family
ID: |
24161122 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/541,805 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
239/172;
239/304 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B28C
9/004 (20130101); B28C 9/04 (20130101); E04F
21/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B28C
9/00 (20060101); B28C 9/04 (20060101); E04F
21/12 (20060101); E04F 21/02 (20060101); A01G
025/09 () |
Field of
Search: |
;239/142,172,302-304,310,61,398,407,418,419,306
;222/626,145.5,145.6 ;366/160.2,160.3,162.1,11 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Douglas; Lisa Ann
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Collard & Roe, PC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mobile cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus
comprising:
a trailer having wheels and adapted to be attached to a truck;
a generator mounted on the trailer;
a fuel tank connected to the generator and mounted on the trailer,
for powering the generator;
a work platform mounted to the trailer;
a first mixer for mixing dry product with water and being mounted
on the work platform, said first mixer comprising a vat, a first
rotatable mixing tool within the vat, and a first motor connected
to said first mixing tool for rotating the first mixing tool, said
first motor being connected to said generator;
a first pump connected to the generator and being mounted on the
trailer adjacent the first mixer;
a first hose having two ends, one end connected to the first
pump;
a nozzle connected to the other end of the first hose for spraying
product from the first pump;
a second mixer for mixing accelerator with water and being mounted
on the work platform, said second mixer comprising a mixing tank, a
second rotatable mixing tool disposed within the mixing tank and a
second motor connected to the second mixing tool and the
generator;
a second pump connected to the generator for pumping the
accelerator;
a second hose having two ends, said second hose being connected at
one end to the second pump and at another end to the nozzle to mix
the accelerator with the product;
a control box connected to the second pump for turning the second
pump off and on;
a tool box mounted to the work platform; and
scaffolding mounted to the trailer.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a remote
switch located on the nozzle for turning the first pump off and on
from the nozzle.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second mixer
further comprises a bracket mounted around the top edge of the
mixing tank and connected to the second mixing tool, said bracket
having three prongs extending out from a central core, each prong
being attached to the top edge of the mixing tank via a clamp.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixing vat is
pivotally mounted to the work platform and has a top opening such
that the product is transported from the mixing vat to the first
pump by tipping the mixing vat until the product pours from the
mixing vat into the first pump.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least
one storage unit mounted to the trailer, said storage unit sized to
contain scaffolding parts.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank holds
180 gallons of fuel.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generator
generates at least 40 Kw of power.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pump has
at least 30 horsepower.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first hose is at
least 300 feet long.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first hose has
a diameter of about 2 inches near the first pump and wherein the
diameter of the first hose decreases along its length to about 1
inch near the nozzle.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scaffolding and
work platform are made of galvanized steel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mobile apparatus for spraying
fireproofing and specialty coatings onto buildings during
construction. In particular, the invention relates to a mobile unit
having all of the required parts for completing a spraying job, all
mounted onto a trailer that also functions as a work platform
during spraying.
2. The Prior Art
In the field of fireproofing, the product to be applied is shipped
in solid granular form and then mixed with water and sprayed onto
the beams of new construction. The product is often mixed with an
accelerator immediately prior to the spraying, to aid in the
hardening of the product after spraying.
Typically, the fireproofing company brings the spraying equipment
to the job site, where the product is first mixed with water in a
mixer, and then transferred to a separate pump for spraying. All of
the components are brought separately to the job site and used
there. This has the disadvantage of requiring the product, power
supply, mixers and pump to be separately brought to and from the
job site. It also requires a separate outside power supply for the
motorized components. It would be desirable to create a mobile unit
that includes all of the necessary components for completing a
spraying job, so that the unit merely needs to be driven from site
to site.
Mobile sprayers are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,761 to
O'Dell discloses a mobile pressure spraying apparatus having fluid
reservoir, a pump and a nozzle mounted onto a trailer for spraying
fluid such as asphalt sealers. U.S. Pat. No. 1,602,105 to Geer et
al. discloses another portable spraying device having two tanks for
holding the material to be sprayed and an air compressor for
spraying. U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,849 to Studinger discloses another
mobile sprayer having a gasoline engine driving a high pressure
pump and having tanks for holding the fluids to be sprayed.
Various other insulation spraying devices are shown in U.S. Pat.
No. 4,542,040 to Nowak, U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,163 to Woten et al.,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,512 to Kistner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,318 to
Eckert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,802 to Boyer et al. and U.S. Pat. No.
5,320,870 to Sorathia et al.
While all of these inventions provide for spraying insulation or
other liquids, none of the references disclose a completely
self-contained work platform having all of the materials and
machinery necessary to complete an insulation spraying job.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mobile
cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus that is
portable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a mobile
cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus that
contains all of the elements necessary to complete a spraying job
in a single apparatus.
It is another object of the invention to provide a mobile
cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus that also
serves as a work platform during spraying.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a mobile
cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus having a
pump that can be remotely controlled from the nozzle.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an mobile
cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus that allows
for the product to mix with an accelerator at the nozzle.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a
mobile cementious fireproofing and specialty coating apparatus
comprising a trailer having wheels and adapted to be attached to a
truck, a generator mounted on the trailer, and a fuel tank
connected to the generator and mounted on the trailer, for powering
the mixing and pumping apparatus. There is a work platform mounted
to the trailer to allow the operators to work directly on the unit.
A mixer for mixing dry product with water is mounted on the work
platform. The mixer comprises a vat, a rotatable mixing tool within
the vat, and a motor connected to the mixing tool for rotating the
mixing tool. The motor is connected to and powered by the
generator.
A pump is connected to the generator and is mounted on the trailer
adjacent the mixer. A hose is connected to the pump and to a spray
nozzle for spraying product from the pump onto the construction
site.
There is a second mixer for mixing accelerator with water mounted
on the work platform. The second mixer comprises a mixing tank, a
rotatable mixing tool disposed within the mixing tank and a motor
connected to the mixing tool and the generator. There is a second
pump connected to the generator for pumping the accelerator, and a
second hose connected at one end to the second pump and at another
end to the nozzle to mix the accelerator with the product
immediately prior to spraying.
There are controls connected to the pump for turning the pump off
and on. A tool box is mounted to the work platform for housing
tools and equipment for on-site repairs. There is also a
compartment for holding scaffolding, and there is scaffolding
mounted to the trailer, so that the mobile unit is completely self
contained and allows the operators to complete a spraying job
without any outside support, except for a water source.
Alternatively, the apparatus could also work in conjunction with a
tanker truck.
In a preferred embodiment, there is a remote switch located on the
nozzle for turning the pump off and on from the nozzle. This way,
the pump can be turned off immediately and prevent any machine or
pump line problems.
The second mixer, which mixes the accelerator, has a bracket
mounted around the top edge of the mixing tank and connected to the
mixing tool. The bracket has three prongs extending out from a
central core, each prong being attached to the top edge of the
mixing tank via a clamp. The clamp has an inside plate and an
outside plate connected by a screw. The top edge of the mixing tank
is inserted between the two plates and the screw is tightened to
firmly mount the clamp to the mixing tank.
The mixing vat, which holds the mixed product, is pivotally mounted
to the work platform and has a top opening, so that the product is
transported from the mixing vat to the pump by tipping the mixing
vat until the product pours from the mixing vat into the pump.
There is preferably at least one storage unit mounted to the
trailer for storing scaffolding parts.
The fuel tank holds 180 gallons of diesel fuel for powering the
generator. The generator is preferably a John Deere 40 Kw
generator. The pump preferably has at least 30 horsepower and the
mixer motor preferably has 9 horsepower. The scaffolding and work
platform are preferably made of custom fabricated galvanized carbon
steel.
The hose is preferably between 20 and 2000 feet long and has a
diameter of about 2 inches near the pump. The diameter
progressively decreases toward the nozzle, so that the diameter
near the nozzle is about 1 inch. The apparatus also has a
compartment that stores 200-300 feet of 3 in. vertical aluminum
pump line.
Typical products used with the mobile unit are MK6.RTM.
manufactured by Grace Products, Spatterkote-3.RTM. and Cafco
300.RTM. manufactured by U.S. Mineral Products. All products
manufactured by WR Grace, Isolotech, Pyrock, Carboline, U.S.
Mineral and others could also be used. As an example, the product
is mixed at a ratio of 24 gallons of water to 340 lb bags of
product in the mixer. The product is mixed for approximately 90
seconds prior to pumping, and hardens within 5 minutes when mixed
with accelerator. A suitable accelerator is Monokote.RTM. by Grace
products, which is an aluminum sulfate hydrate. The accelerator is
mixed with water at a ratio of 1 60 lb bag of accelerator to 10
gallons water. The accelerator is pumped into the nozzle so that it
mixes with the product immediately prior to spraying. The sprayed
product preferably has about 3% accelerator in it. Some products do
not require accelerator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and features of the present invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description considered in
connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood,
however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and
not as a definition of the limits of the invention.
In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote
similar elements throughout the several views:
FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of the apparatus according to
the invention;
FIG. 2 shows an opposite side perspective view of the
apparatus;
FIG. 3 shows a front view of the apparatus;
FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the apparatus;
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the storage chamber of the
apparatus according to the invention;
FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the mixing vat for the
product;
FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the pump for the product;
FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the accelerator mixing vat and
pump;
FIG. 9 shows an enlarged view of the accelerator mixing
bracket;
FIG. 10 shows a side view of the spray nozzle;
FIG. 11 shows a side perspective view of the generator; and
FIG. 12 shows a block diagram of the components of the apparatus
according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now in detail to the drawings and, in particular, FIGS.
1-4, there is shown the mobile cementious fireproofing and
specialty coating apparatus 10 according to the invention.
Apparatus 10 comprises a trailer 20, which can be hooked to a truck
(not shown) for transport to the work site. A work platform 21 is
mounted to trailer 20 and provides a surface on which the people
spraying the product can work. Work platform 21 is set up so that
when trailer 20 is backed up to a truck, platform 21 is about the
same height as the floor of the truck. This way, supplies can be
easily unloaded from the truck to the platform 21 by laying a board
across the space between the platform 21 and the truck and sliding
the supplies across to the work platform 21.
There is a tool box 22 mounted on work platform 21 to hold all of
the necessary tools required for a spraying job. Scaffolding 23 is
set up around platform 21 and can serve as a brace for a canopy to
shield the components and the workers from precipitation and sun.
As shown in detail in FIG. 5, there is a storage compartment 25
underneath work platform 21 to store extra scaffolding for use
during the job.
As shown in detail in FIG. 6, mixing vat 30 is pivotally mounted on
work platform 21 for mixing dry product with water obtained from an
outside water source. Mixing vat 30 has a rotatable mixer 32 which
mixes the product and water within the vat. The product is
generally mixed in a ratio to 120 lbs of product (3 40 lb bags) per
24 gallons of water. The water and product are poured in through
opening 31 in mixing vat 30. Mixer 32 is a rotating screw that is
driven by motor 35, which is mounted on work platform 21. Motor 35
is preferably a 9 horsepower motor. After the product is mixed, it
is poured, by tipping vat 30 over, into a pump 50 for pumping it
onto the substrate.
As shown in FIG. 7, pump 50 comprises a motor 51 and a nozzle
connection 52 for connecting via hose 54 to a nozzle 55, shown in
FIG. 10. Motor 51 is preferably a 30 horsepower motor. Nozzle 55
has an automatic remote shut-off valve 56, in which the user can
immediately stop the pump in case of an emergency, and possibly
prevent any hose blow-outs, which are common if the nozzle becomes
clogged. Pump 50 can also be directly shut off at the pump as well
at control valve 57.
As the product is sprayed out of nozzle 55, it is mixed with an
accelerator that is pumped from accelerator vat 40, shown in detail
in FIGS. 8 and 9. Accelerator vat 40 is connected with a rotating
mixer 41 for mixing the dry accelerator with water. Mixer 41 is
connected to a mixing bracket 42 for clamping mixer 41 to
accelerator vat 40. As shown in FIG. 9, mixing bracket 42 has three
prongs, each having clamps 43 and 44 at the end. Clamps 43 and 44
clamp the edge of mixing vat 40 and are held together by bolt 66 to
hold mixer 41 securely to mixing vat 40. Mixer 41 also has a
control box 49 for controlling the motor 45 of mixer 41, and a
rotating shaft 48 extending down into vat 40 for mixing the
accelerator. The mixed accelerator is then pumped out of mixing vat
40 via hose 46, and pumped to nozzle 55 through outlet 71 of pump
70 and through hose 72, shown in FIG. 10. The accelerator thus
mixes with the product immediately before the mixture is sprayed
onto the construction site.
The entire assembly is powered by a generator 60, which is shown in
FIG. 11 and mounted on work platform 21. Generator 60 is a
commercially available generator, such as a 40 kW 220V 3 phase John
Deere generator. As shown schematically in FIG. 12, a fuel tank 61
is connected to generator 60 for providing fuel during
operation.
The connection between the various elements of the apparatus is
shown in FIG. 12. Generator 60 powers the motors 35 and 45 of the
mixers 31 and 41, respectively, which then pump the product and
accelerator from pumps 50 and 70 through hoses 54 and 72 through
nozzle 55 and onto the substrate.
Several unique safety features can also be added to the apparatus.
For example, the apparatus could be fitted with non-skid surfaces,
ground faults and grounding rods. Many OSHA related features could
be added as well, such as guards. The apparatus also comes with
labeled operational guides, material data safety sheets and Hazcom
manuals to ensure the safe operation of the apparatus.
The present invention is an improvement over the prior art spraying
systems because it contains all of the elements needed for a
spraying job on one mobile rig, so that it is completely
self-contained and portable. The only external element required is
a source of water for mixing the product and accelerator.
Accordingly, while only a single embodiment of the present
invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many
changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *